The Prince in the Dream
by ms.alianne
Summary: First fic! (Excuse my semi-horrible summary) Elsa meets a man named Jack on the night of Anna's wedding. But something odd happens, leaving Elsa to wonder if the white-haired prince is real. Why does he seem to appear to the Snow Queen in strange situations? Where is he from? What is he hiding? [MAJOR JACK x ELSA] More characters to come! Possible other ships! Rated T to be safe!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Hi, hi all! After much debate, I've hopped onto to actually write my own story, and not just read! I'm a HUGE Jelsa shipper, so I gave in and here it is! The debut of my very first chapter of my very first fanfic! EEEEEE!**

**Please read and review, but don't be mean because this is my first time, aha. But as a writer, whatever you have to say means a lot to me because I want you guys to enjoy the story as it goes along, as much as I have enjoyed writing it so far. **

**If you have any ideas on further chapters or plot lines (because to be honest, I'm not so sure on where I want to take the story yet), leave them in reviews or private message me!**

**And with that, here is Chapter One of The Prince in the Dream! :) *title subject to change* **

**~ Allex**

* * *

**Chapter One:**

Elsa sighed.

After delivering a toast that seemed to carry on for hours, she could finally sit down in her throne.

Of course, Elsa wouldn't dare slouch or rest her chin on her fist like she longed to because, what would her citizens think?

And it wasn't like she wasn't excited anyway. In fact, Elsa was quite happy. Her younger sister Anna had just wed a wonderful man who was madly in love with her. Kristoff _was_ a bit strange; he held conversations with his pet reindeer, Sven, and was so obsessed with ice, that whenever his eyes fell upon one of Elsa's ice sculptures, he would almost burst into tears. But Elsa had to admit; he was so selfless and always saw that Anna would be taken care of, which made the queen very proud to call the husky blonde man her brother-in-law. Despite this, Elsa was beyond exhausted. She had spent all day ensuring the food tasted good enough, greeting the guests that arrived, and helping with the wedding décor by carving sculptures and making snow fall from the ceiling of one of the ballrooms where the wedding was held. She wanted everything to be perfect for Anna, so she found herself working harder than she already did when she handled her queenly duties. Now, all the guests were dancing and socializing throughout the grand ballroom and Elsa swore she had never seen so many people in one place at one time. _Well, not since her coronation at least._ She chuckled, recalling when Anna _begged_ her to invite kingdoms from distances even further than those of Scotland and France. She shook her head. That girl was definitely something.

"Err… Excuse me… Your highness?"

Elsa looked up to face whoever interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes moved to a small boy, about 7 or 8 years old, who stood in front of her holding a yellow flower in his hands. His white dress shirt contrasted nicely against his chocolate brown hair and deep brown eyes. A younger girl in a pink dress, clinging to her brother, peeked out from behind him, sporting the same color hair and eyes. Elsa recognized them as children from the town, the son and daughter of the candle maker and his wife. They were a charming little family.

The queen smiled warmly. "Yes, young ones?"

"Uhh, uhmm…" The boy struggled to find his words, shaking as he nervously held out the flower to the older woman.

His little sister stepped out shyly, clearing her throat. "Queen Elsa?" she said in a squeaky voice. "This flower is for you." The girl nodded toward her brother then turned to face Elsa again. "Uhh, would- would you like to join me and my brother and the other children? We, we would like to see your pretty powers… And dance with you…" She paused for a while, and then looked up hopefully to the queen. "Please? It would be an honor."

Elsa's smile was bigger than before. "Of course," she replied. "I would love to."

Two pairs of brown eyes grew wide. The siblings turned to face each other in disbelief before they began to jump and down, cheering happily. Each child took one of Elsa's hands in his or her own, leading her excitedly across the ballroom floor. She was greeted by a loud, joyous chorus.

_"It's the queen!" "It's Queen Elsa!" "Yay!" "The queen is going to play with us!"_

Elsa laughed as she knelt down to meet the eye levels of the village children. She grinned, forming a snowball in hand. "Are you ready?" She was answered by eager nods and she released the sphere into the air, triggering a flurry of snowflakes to cascade softly on small pink noses and hands. Elsa then created several small piles of snow, pulling a few elated children on top of them to dance with her. Her heart smiled. People were no longer afraid of her winter powers; now, she could focus on making her citizens happy. It was her favorite thing about being Arendelle's famed Snow Queen. She absolutely loved it.

After some time, the children wore themselves out from all the fun, and parents came to pick up the sleepy little bodies in their arms. Not wanting the adults to miss out on their own entertainment, Elsa spoke up. "If you would like, I have a spare bedroom across the ballroom. The children can rest there. Please. I insist. Stay and enjoy my sister's wedding festivities." They all smiled, thanking her, and proceeded to follow the queen to a large room with a rather large bed. The parents laid their little tykes to peaceful sleep and crept out silently to join the rest of the party.

Elsa returned to her throne, taking a moment to relax and catch her breath. She sat for a few minutes before heading to the chocolate bar at the west end of the room. After all, what was Anna's wedding without a fair share of chocolate to celebrate? Elsa stuck a few large berries into the chocolate fountain and grabbed a glass of champagne before sitting down at one of the small tables along the walls. She settled in a seat halfway between the chocolate bar and the musicians. And even though the musicians were in the middle of an upbeat number, Elsa couldn't help but feel her eyelids droop a bit. The time she spent playing with the village kids only added to her previous weariness from the long hours of the wedding day. She sipped on her drink and turned away slightly, hoping that she could avoid having people come up to her. The queen felt her eyelids closing slowly and she let out a yawn. "Maybe I'll doze off for a few minutes," she murmured.

A shocked Elsa awoke when someone bumped her chair, nearly causing her to knock over her drink. Thankfully, the champagne was resting on the table and she was able to catch it with the hand that held her cheek when she slumbered. Still cranky from her rude awakening, she frowned a bit, but she shook it off. Sighing, Elsa turned back around to face the sea of people in front of her.

That's when she saw him.

* * *

Blue eyes met blue eyes as Elsa gazed upon a young man with pale skin and white hair. She was completely fascinated. The Snow Queen's own tresses were a gorgeous, light platinum blonde, but she had never before seen anyone with hair even lighter than hers. His locks were tousled, waving softly in different directions as if the wind had played with them. It was like the wind simply _couldn't_ stop playing with them. Normally, Elsa wasn't attracted to such untidiness, but it seemed to fit this figure perfectly. His hair framed his face quite nicely. The man had a slightly chiseled face, with strong brows and a strong jaw, but his thin lips pulled back to raise his cheekbones, revealing a boyish smile, highlighted by a set of pearly white teeth.

And those eyes…

His beautiful blue eyes were a tad darker than Elsa's aquamarine irises, yet they sparkled playfully in the lighted ballroom, and the queen found that this was her favorite feature of his handsome face. She was captivated by this stranger, and she wanted to stare into those eyes forever.

The man's outfit was no less stunning. He wore a steel blue military coat that matched his eyes exactly. Silver buttons and black accents fell along the sleeves and at the front of the jacket, showing off his slim, yet built, figure. A navy blue half-cape draped over his broad shoulders, its color matching Elsa's evening gown, and a white sash, bearing a silver crest, trailed from the left of his body, and down his chest, coming to rest near his right hip. Navy pants traced around his long, lanky legs, disappearing at the knees, which were covered by black boots. _Is he a prince?_ Elsa wondered. He certainly did look like royalty.

Elsa blinked a few times, still in awe that someone as perfect as this man could exist. He seemed to feel the same way about her, as she saw him blink as well before heading towards her, his charming smile spreading more and more as he got closer. The pair stood face to face, locked in the stares of the other. The man's eyes left Elsa's only to reach for her left hand. He held it gently in his right, slowly bringing it up while bringing his upper body down to bow and kiss it. He looked up from this position and straight into the queen's eyes.

"Your majesty." His smooth, baritone voice seemed to echo around the walls. "I have heard much of your greatness," he continued, beaming. Elsa could sense the heat rising slightly in her cheeks.

"May I have this dance?"

***for more effect listen to Over the Waves Waltz by Juventino Rosas (via YouTube; video is by montejesus; start at 0:50)***

The Snow Queen could only nod and smile back in response as the man took the left hand he was already holding and placed it on his right shoulder, drawing Elsa close as his arm snaked around her waist. He stole her other hand and brought it near their faces, his eyes never leaving hers as they pushed off into a waltz. They swayed with ease to the rhythmic 1-2-3, 1-2-3 of the song; Elsa's admirer guided her turns as they encircled the ballroom, not once stepping on her feet. The sight of the queen dancing with this strange, new person drew attention from a number of guests in the room and Elsa, feeling a blush creeping up on her face, looked down and closed her eyes to save her from embarrassment. She breathed deeply, noticing that her partner smelled like freshly powdered pine trees, which eased her nerves a bit. Elsa opened her eyes as the man twirled her under his arm, before catching her again. They danced in their silence until the man spoke.

"I do believe that you are the best dance partner I've ever had, your highness."

"I could say the same," Elsa remarked. "You know, I never did get your name."

"Jackson. I come from up north." The queen raised her eyebrows at this, not fully satisfied with this answer. He smirked slightly. "Prince Jackson, from the small kingdom of Northern Burgess. But please, dear queen, call me Jack."

"Alright, Jack of Northern Burgess. Then, call me Elsa."

Jack's dashing smile grew once more and he lifted Elsa off the ground effortlessly, spinning her in the air. When she touched down, she threw her head back, a blissful laugh ringing around the ballroom. "Oh my," she said breathlessly. "I don't think I've ever felt this free since the time I built my ice castle." Jack watched her interestedly. "I'm glad, Elsa. You know, back in my kingdom, my people sometimes called me the Prince of Fun. When it's wintertime, I have snowball fights and sled down the hills with the villagers. But I would like to hear more about you." Elsa tilted her head at this. "Well, I'm sure you know about my mishap from a couple years back." The prince chuckled. "No matter," he replied. "I would like to hear the story anyway." He whirled her around again, this time leaning her into a dip.

Though she had just met the man, something about Jack told Elsa she could trust him. With a grin tugging at the corner of her lips, she told her tale, starting from her parents' surprise at her snow white hair, followed by her ability to make snow and ice out of the palm of her hand. Then she told him about the night that she slipped and hit Anna with her powers, when her family journeyed to the Valley of the Trolls to erase Anna's memory, and when she moved out of her little sister's room. She bit her lip, holding back her emotions as she remembered how she rejected Anna's knocks and calls from outside her bedroom door, even when their parents died in a horrible accident. Elsa didn't notice that tears had started falling down her cheeks until Jack's voice shook her back to consciousness. "Hey, hey. It's alright," he whispered, holding her face, then linking her arm around his to lead her to the balcony. "Look at me. That's over now, okay Elsa? I mean, look. You're here, at _her_ wedding. It's in the past, don't be scared." She scoffed at her tears, giving him a sad smile before continuing on about her coronation and her ice castle; about freezing Anna's heart and finally realizing that love, even just the love between family, could solve her problems.

Elsa exhaled, overwhelmed that she had spilled her deepest secrets to the Jack. Of course, she had told Anna about all this during a long-awaited sister sleepover after the Great Thaw, but it wasn't as easy. Jack made her feel comfortable and something in her heart gave her the notion that she knew him from somewhere else, as if she had known him for a great deal of time. She didn't quite know why. A cool breeze traveled by the young queen and prince and they both sighed. "Wait, Elsa. Aren't you cold?" Jack asked. "Huh?" "A night breeze just passed. Err, here! Take my jacket!" Jack began to remove his coat, until Elsa put her hand on his shoulder, giggling. "Don't you remember? I'm the Snow Queen, so the cold never bothered me. I rather enjoy it." She smiled before turning to face the full moon that was shining on them. "What's your story, Jackson of Northern Burgess?" In the dim light, Jack could see Elsa trying to hide any sign of mischief, biting her lip once again. He snickered softly, opening his mouth to tease her.

"I guess it's only-"

But the conversation was interrupted by a loud boom and the ground beneath them shook. Jack and Elsa stared at each other, eyebrows furrowed, wondering where the noise came from when suddenly, another boom, and the floor of the ballroom started to crack. Elsa looked over in horror.

"No, no… ANNA!"

"Elsa!"

Elsa ran inside and Jack trailed behind her in frustration, dodging chunks of stone that were falling down from the ceiling.

"Elsa! Stop! Don't!"

"Jack, my sister! I can't lose her again!" she shouted, turning back briefly.

Elsa was too distracted to notice the piece of rubble that had dropped, and she tripped, tearing the bottom of her dress up to her knee. Jack rushed to her side to help her stand.

This time, three more booms followed and the two looked at each other fearfully, trying to move out of the way of falling debris, while guiding people out the large wooden doors. They held on to each other for dear life, Elsa burying her head in Jack's chest, inhaling his sweet cologne, scared of what she could possibly lose.

She closed her eyes, and then,

BOOM.

* * *

Elsa's eyes shot wide open, only to find herself looking up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She sat up, bewildered. Everything was as she left it the day befpre; her thin blue canopy surrounded her bed, her simple chandelier glistened in the morning sun, and she was completely wrapped up in her azure comforters. Even her copy of Romeo and Juliet lay under her tea cup on her nightstand.

Then she heard it again. The boom or, rather, a loud knocking coming from her door.

"Who is it?" she asked sleepily.

A cheery Anna bounced into the room and onto her sister's bed.

"Hey, sis! I just wanted to come see you before me and Kristoff leave for our honeymoon!" she piped.

"Your…honeymoon? What?" After the terror Elsa witnessed in the ballroom, she couldn't believe what Anna was saying.

"Yeah, silly! My honeymoon! I got married yesterday, remember? There was a party. You know, with chocolates and dancing and stuff?"

Elsa shook her head. "Oh, right. I'm obviously still tired from all the fun." She forced a smile, unsure of what to think.

"Well, sleepyhead, I'll miss you a lot! I'll bring you things from our trip! EEEEEEEE! I'm excited!" Anna jumped up and down again before embracing her sister in a tight hug.

"Oh, Anna." Elsa sniffed. "I'm so happy for you. You kids have fun, okay? But not TOO much fun. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about." She smirked, pinching her sibling's cheek.

At this, the strawberry blonde turned redder than her hair and both sisters collapsed on the sheets, clutching their stomachs from laughing uncontrollably.

"Princess Anna," a servant called from the door. "The ship is loaded. Are you ready to leave, ma'am?"

Elsa and Anna wiped the tears from the cheeks, still sore from giggling.

"Thank you, Thomas!" Anna turned her head from the door back to Elsa. "I guess this means I'm going now," she sighed as she hugged her sister once more, bolting out the door. But not before yelling back, "DON'T OVERWORK YOURSELF, ELSA! OR I'LL KILL YOU IF YOUR STRESS DOESN'T!" Thomas leapt up in shock at the young woman's loud voice.

The queen chuckled. "GOODBYE ANNA!" she screamed in response, frightening poor Thomas for a second time. He mumbled something incoherent before leaving.

As soon as she heard the door click, Elsa started to pace, puzzled by the situation. So Anna's wedding WAS last night. But how would an earthquake have left the castle in one piece? And Jack…

_Jack..._

What of the wonderful prince she had met?

Elsa tried to sort her thoughts and clear her head. _Perhaps it was a dream_, she concluded. _That had to be it, right?_

But the blonde-headed beauty noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She saw her sparkling, navy blue dress sitting on her day bed by her window. _I must've carelessly thrown it there after the party_, Elsa said to herself. She shrugged. It _had_ been an eventful day. The Snow Queen walked toward the dress curiously, and picked it up as if to return to the memories of the previous night. But as soon as she held it, Elsa dropped the dress, her hands flying to her mouth in astonishment.

The fabric at the end of her garment was frayed, with remnants of a chalky white substance visible in various places. And halfway up the skirt, was a slit that would have reached her knees.

* * *

**There it is! Chapter one! Whew! Leaving you guys with a cliff hanger on the first try, MUAHAHAHA!**

**Jk. But please please PLEASE tell me what you think. **

**Also, a side note. I realize that the waltz I told you guys to listen to is a bit historically inaccurate to the story. The events of Frozen took place around the 1800s and so that's where the story is set, but I just thought it was a nice, upbeat waltz that I pictured Jack and Elsa dancing to. I just saw them doing all these cute lifts and dips in my head, and it just gave me feels, hahaha. I mean, Juventino Rosas DID live in the 1800s, but I doubt a waltz from Mexico would make it to Norway. But who knows?**

**And updates. I don't know how often I will be able to update because I am very busy girl who is still working on her education, so I don't know if I can update chapters weekly or every other day, etc. When I get on spring break, I will try my hardest to upload as much as I can and conquer writers block, but please bear with me as I'm still new to this. I want to commit to this, and I know it'll be hard to wait, but please stick with me! I WILL try to do as much as I can to keep the story constant!**

**Anyway, hope you liked it! Read and review! All that good stuff! :) **

**~ Allex**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**OMG. I FINALLY FINISHED THE 2ND CHAPTER. YAAASSSSS! **

**Sorry for the wait, these past two weeks were really hectic! But as I hoped, I was able to land this chapter during spring break! Thank you, spring break! You don't know how happy I am to be done with this chapter! Fingers crossed that writer's block won't be too bad this time, hehe. **

**To be completely honest, I will be SWAMPED until mid-April because I will be rehearsing long and hard for a production at my school and it only gets more intense from here. Agh. *sobs* BUT, I will be jotting down my plot ideas wherever I go so maybe I can squeeze in another chapter for you guys somewhere! It's more likely that you might see one or two one shots from me, so look out for those when I'm not updating this story! **

**With that being said, check out my Jelsa one shot, Angel Avenue! It's really short and not much, but I wanted to put it out there when I was formulating this chapter. **

******Don't forget to review! (And/or message me ideas or even greetings just because you want to say hi)**

**Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this installment of The Prince in the Dream! :D**

**~ A**

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

_"For never was a story of more woe/_

_Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."_

A young sun peeked through as Elsa dabbed the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief.

She set the book back on her desk, sniffling. Though she had read the play countless times, the idea of a young and impulsive, forbidden love moved her deeply. Elsa first read _Romeo and Juliet_ at age 13, and she remembered waiting by her window for someone to rescue her from the rules and restrictions she was bound to. She often dreamed that a proud, troublesome fire prince would be her lover, since she possessed the powers of winter. As a child, Elsa encompassed herself in books. They were her only escape to the world outside her room, a world filled with unending imagination. So even though the royal family had a grand library that kept history and fables from around the world, the queen had a collection of books for her enjoyment.

Elsa sighed. It had been nice to spend a few days relaxing. It had been 4 days since Anna and Kristoff left for their honeymoon and surprisingly, the queen had not been as busy as she thought she would be. The most she had done in her sister's absence was tour guests around Arendelle and sign a few negotiations here and there, but nothing more. This morning, she ate breakfast with her relatives from Corona before sending them back to their home in Germany.

**(flashback)**

"Oh Elsa, thank you for letting us stay so long! Sorry we have to be the last to leave." The brunette with the pixie cut winced as she took her cousin's hand, worried that she had overworked her hospitality.

"Rapunzel, don't worry," Elsa responded. "You're family. And might I mention some of the only family me and Anna have left. We're grateful you came to celebrate with us, and you can come back anytime."

Rapunzel opened her mouth to speak but was interjected by the sight of a scruffy, brown-haired man bursting through the doors, holding a…carrot?

"HA, HA!" the man shouted triumphantly, waving the vegetable in the air like a sword.

"Hey! Give it back!" A small snowman trailed behind, jumping up to try to reach for his carrot nose, but with no avail.

"Eugene… Give the carrot back to Olaf." Rapunzel rolled her eyes and glared at her husband.

"Bu- But, Punzie! … Ohhhh! Fine." Eugene knelt down and stuck the carrot back into Olaf's head. "Here you go little buddy." He patted the snowman on the back before standing next to his wife, who elbowed him for being rude.

Olaf noticed this. "No harm done, Rapunzel! All good things, all good things! Just as long as he doesn't take my nose forever!" He gestured at Eugene then giggled, covering his mouth with his little stick arms.

"See, Blondie? That's what I'm talking about! Oof!" Eugene received yet another elbow to the gut from Rapunzel, who hissed at him, "Ooh, you are SO lucky I don't have a frying pan right now!" She then turned to Elsa and laughed nervously, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry about him," she said to Elsa. "We'll be leaving soon."

"Punzie, it's not a problem. Just promise you'll visit again. Soon."

With that, the two young women pulled into a hug that was joined by Eugene and Olaf. And Elsa found herself on the docks of Arendelle, waving goodbyes and wishing a safe journey for her family. She would miss having them around. Her cousin was one to paint the town, literally. She spent Anna's wedding day painting the cobblestone of the kingdom and then lashed out on a number of canvases two days after the wedding was over. And when Eugene disturbed her with his antics, they got into a paint battle that left one of the drawing rooms in a beautiful, colorful mess. Rapunzel was scared that her older cousin would scold her, but was surprised when the queen made mounds of snow, initiating a rainbow of colors to fly to the walls in a snowball fight.

**(end flashback)**

Now, it was time for Elsa to get back to work. She knew letters and gifts and barter documents were coming in from guests and she had to attend to those things. She walked over to the bookshelf and placed the play next to other Shakespearian works before turning back to her desk, where a pile of envelopes was beginning to accumulate.

Elsa blew a raspberry, moving the hair out of her eyes. "Let's conquer this," she muttered to herself.

* * *

Fwomp.

The Arendelle signet ring squished against the hot wax, sealing a reply that Elsa had written to the king and queen of the Southern Isles. After the incident with Hans, the royal family was trying to get on Arendelle's good side. They sent countless apologies in the form of gold and other goods and Anna's marriage made it no better. This time they delivered special perfumes, silk dresses, big hats, and chocolates, some of the princess's favorite things. The sisters usually sent back the gifts, but the Southern Isles royalty insisted that the family keep the presents since it was such a special occasion. Elsa thanked them for consideration and told them they didn't need to send anymore peace offerings, reassuring them all was forgiven. Of course, she was careful with her interactions with the Southern Isles now, but she didn't want them to develop too-sour feelings (Anna swore she would do more than punch Hans in the face if she ever saw him again).

Elsa flicked the packet to the mountain of about a 100 or so letters sitting on her office floor. She dipped her quill into the ink pot to begin yet another reply to another kingdom, but set it back down and slumped down in her chair, brushing her bangs from her face. She had been at it for hours and she knew one of the servants was going to pop in soon to fetch her. At that, Elsa heard the door of her study open and she sat up to greet whoever came in.

But it was neither Thomas nor any of the other servants who turned the brass handles.

"Elsa!" Olaf shuffled in. "Hi!" He looked up and waved one of his small arms. In the other, he held a strange envelope. "Hello Olaf! What do you have there in your hand?" The queen asked curiously.

"Oh! Right! I almost forgot I had it! It's for you!" The snowman waddled closer to the queen to hand her the envelope.

After sitting at her desk for what seemed like days, the last thing Elsa wanted to see was another letter, at least until after she ate her supper. But what she saw almost made her drop the envelope in shock. She set the letter down on her work space and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The packet was addressed to her alright, and the sender was none other than Prince Jackson of Northern Burgess.

"O-Olaf?" the queen turned to the snowman shakily. "Where did you get this?"

"I was walking around the castle and I found it! Why?"

"Did you see a man with white hair?" Elsa leaned forward excitedly, and then collected herself, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. She cleared her throat. "Or did you see anyone at all?"

"No. Why?"

Elsa was disappointed. "Oh, it was nothing. It would be nice to have seen who gave this letter, that's all."

"Ohh," Olaf responded, dragging out the vowel. "Well, I think that's the only thing I needed to do. I'll catch you at dinner, Elsa!"

The Snow Queen watched dumbfounded as the figure rushed out and shut the door behind him. She blinked and exhaled, before turning back to the packet on the desk. She grabbed the letter opener from her top drawer and seared it carefully, paying attention to the seal. The outline of a sun circled around the rest of the seal, surrounding an egg-shaped symbol. A sword, and a leaf, no, a feather, crossed over the egg, and in between the blades sat the picture of a snowflake. Elsa had never seen a stranger stamp, but she was more concerned about what was _inside_ the package than what was _on_ it. She removed the parchment and held it up to her face:

_Dear Elsa,_

_I'm sorry about what happened at Anna's wedding. I hope you and your sister are well. I would like to thank you for your cordiality and for being such a beautiful, brilliant dance partner. You are a moving person. I hope to see you again on another occasion._

_May we meet very soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Jack_

Elsa smiled silently to herself. So he _was_ real. And he was safe. So it wasn't just a dream.

The note was short, but she was excited to finally hear some word from the amiable prince. Elsa was determined to communicate with him, so she picked up her quill again and began to compose of her own letter:

_Dear Jack,_

_I'm glad that you're alright. I've been quite fine and I'm sure Anna is enjoying herself on her honeymoon. I wish you didn't have to leave so abruptly, but I had a wonderful time in your company. You are always welcome in Arendelle._

_I look forward to our next get-together._

_Sincerely,_

_Elsa_

The queen sighed happily, sealing the envelope and signing it as Thomas knocked and entered her study.

"Ma'am, I just wanted to inform you that dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Thomas." Elsa replied, still staring at the letter. "Oh. And Thomas, can you do me a favor? Make sure this packet is delivered to the kingdom of Northern Burgess." She sauntered over to the man to place the letter in his palm. The queen smiled, only to receive a look of utter bewilderment.

"Your majesty, I don't understand." Thomas choked and loosened his collar.

"Thomas, what do you mean you don't understand?"

"Ms. Elsa," Thomas's voice was a whisper now. "There is no Northern Burgess."

"Yes, there is!" Elsa snapped. She was beginning to get frustrated now and the temperature in the room started to drop. But when she saw that she had frightened her dear old friend, she straightened herself. "I'm sorry, Thomas. But how is Burgess not real? I received a letter from there." She walked back to her desk and picked up the letter from Jack to show to him.

Thomas kneaded his eyebrows in confusion and spoke. "Hmm… You're right, your majesty. How could you have gotten a packet if Northern Burgess wasn't real? Nonetheless, I have never heard of such a place before. I do regret saying that, you know."

"It's okay," the queen shrugged. "Perhaps I'll talk to one of the record keepers. But for now, why don't we enjoy what the chefs have prepared for us tonight?"

* * *

But Elsa couldn't enjoy dinner as much as she wanted to.

Her mind was still stuck on her servant's words; "There is no Northern Burgess." The phrase racked her brain like a bad note.

_How could there be no Northern Burgess? How?_ She had clearly held the envelope from Jack in her own two hands, and Thomas had seen it and held it as well. _So a concrete sign such as this meant that Burgess was in existence, right? How could there possibly be no Northern Burgess?_

When she finished her dinner, Elsa excused herself and made her way back to the study, ordering one of her maids to send up a couple of her record writers. A few minutes passed as the queen paced the room, and then the door creaked open to reveal two men.

"Daniel, Johann. Good evening. Thank you for coming." She exhaled, bowing.

The two men bowed in return and the man to the left of Elsa stepped forward. "How may we be of service, your majesty?"

"Daniel, have you ever heard of the kingdom of Northern Burgess? I asked Thomas to deliver a letter there, but he said he has never heard of it. But I received a letter. See here?" She presented Jack's letter as proof.

"My apologies, ma'am. The name is unfamiliar to me. Johann, do you know of said Burgess?" Daniel turned to his partner sheepishly.

"No. I know naught, Queen Elsa. Forgive me."

Elsa laughed sadly and looked down. "However…" She looked back up to see Johann talking. "Your majesty, we will try and find out all that we can about this, Burgess." Daniel nodded and put his hand on the queen's shoulder.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You are both kind souls. You may go now, if you wish." The three bowed and the record keepers left the study.

Elsa found herself tracing her fingers around the envelope once more and shortly after her servants left, she too exited the study. Clutching the letter near to her heart, she made her way to the Arendelle family library. _There has to be something there, I'm sure of it, _Elsa mumbled.

She flung open the doors to see a space that stretched on for what felt like miles. Ladders scaled the shelves to places not reachable for the average human height. Elsa groaned, overwhelmed by her uncertainty of where to start her search. She could maybe start with old trade documents. Perhaps her father and his ancestors had bartered with the people of Burgess from years before. Maybe she didn't know about their partnership because she was still a new queen. Well, it had been a couple of years since she became a queen, but for all she knew, the kingdom could have put their business on hold for a few years. There was always that possibility.

Elsa rummaged through the old negotiations of her father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on. But she had no success. She picked up letters from Corona, Dunbroch, Weselton, and many other realms, but none happened to be from Northern Burgess.

_Ugh…_

Elsa shot a snowball into the air and speared an icicle through it in irritation. The white powder fell in little tiny flakes and Elsa lifted herself from the library floor where she was sitting and carefully sorted the documents back into the commerce record cabinet. She stretched her body and sighed. She had done enough work for the day, she would finish tomorrow.

* * *

This continued for a few days.

Of course, Elsa tended to her business before anything else. She had other replies to write in gratitude for those who showed up at Anna's wedding or left presents, or deal with war-hungry nations who were still fearful of her ice-honing skills, so she did this up until dinner time. The queen would finish her meal quickly, and then head to the library to do her personal work. Daniel or Johann had yet to return with any word of discovery. They moved ships north in hopes of happening upon this mysterious land, but it would be a few more days at least before any of the vessels returned.

On Elsa's second night of looking, she checked the rest of the trade cabinet. On the third night, she read maps. On the fourth night, she scoured history books, fingers crossed that she would find the story of an ancient battle with the kingdom of Northern Burgess. And on that fourth night, Princess Anna came home to find the queen in her robe and night gown, sprawled out on a large armchair, a book on Catherine the Great in her lap.

"Elsa. Pst. Elsa!" Anna shook her sister. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"Huh? Who's- Oh, Anna! You're back!" Elsa hugged her sister.

"Elsa, you look exhausted! Thomas told me you've been in here every night for the past few nights! Something about burgers…"

The queen giggled. "_Burgess_, Anna. Not burgers. Don't go making up words. Burgers… What even."

"Oh, oops. Well, it must be really bothering you if you're losing sleep. What happened?"

The Snow Queen pulled the now crumpled letter out of her robe pocket and handed it to Anna. Inhaling, she told the princess about what she experienced on the night of the wedding and the surprise she received the next day and how she had gotten the letter after the Corona family departed.

Anna whistled. "Wow, sis. That's just, wow… I can see how you're all frustrated because it seemed real but you woke up, so it felt like a dream, but the letter… But no one knows of Burgess, huh?"

Elsa shook her head. "No. Daniel and Johann said they would try to find answers, but there have been no alerts. I don't know where to look anymore." She collapsed back onto the armchair and Anna propped herself next to the queen, resting on the armrest.

They sat for a moment, and then a cog turned in Anna's head. She took her sister's hand. "I know where we can go." Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Go on," she said hesitantly. "What are you thinking, Anna?"

"I think it's time to visit Grand Pabbie and the rest of the trolls!" Anna squealed, proud of her idea.

Elsa's jaw dropped. "Anna, why didn't I think of that? Let's go!" She was excited now, but her eyes betrayed her, and her mouth said otherwise as she let out a loud yawn.

"Ohh, no. Not tonight. We don't need you being a grumpy-pants!" Anna snorted. "We'll go tomorrow night. Let's get you to your room." She held a hand out to the other woman, who accepted it gladly.

"Thank you, Anna." She laughed tiredly.

With a wave of her hand, Elsa formed a small breeze that extinguished the candles, and the royal sisters left the library arm in arm.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And that's the end of Chapter 2! WHEW! *wipes sweat from brow***

**I feel like I put A LOT in this chapter. Probably to make up for the fact that I haven't written anything for a couple of weeks. No pretty song this time though, hahaha. So... Tell me what you think! I can't wait to write the next chapter for you all!**

**And if you haven't already, check out Angel Avenue!**

**Thanks for reading! Please review! And thanks again for dealing with the wait. **

***sends out kisses* You guys are awesome! :)**

**~ A**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**OMG GUYS. CHAPTER 3. IT IS FINISHED. I uploaded Chapter 2 on Wednesday, and now it is Saturday and I am crying of happiness because 4 days for almost 3,000 words? Sheesh. It took me two weeks for the last chapter to be done! Thank God for Spring Break!**

**Did you guys catch the burger reference in Ch. 2? The hamburger didn't come into existence until the 1900s in America, so that's why Elsa was making fun od Anna for her nonsense because my story takes place in the 1800s so they didn't know what burgers were! Hehe. I just thought it was clever.**

**Well I hope this chapter is cut out to be as good as you guys have said my other chapters are! There's quite a bit of dialogue I think so let me know how you feel about that!**

**And with that, I leave you to read the mindblowing chapter that is Chapter 3! Enjoy! And, as always, please read and review! :)**

**~ A**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Elsa and Anna sat at the long dining table, munching on their breakfast. The chefs prepared a delightful course, consisting of waffles laden with fruits and chocolate. Kristoff had gone out with Sven to tend to his "Ice Master" business and Olaf was who-knows-where, so the sisters could spend quality time together on this fine morning.

"It's nice out today," Anna chirped through a mouthful, looking outside the window at the clear sky. She swallowed happily before continuing. "Elsa, tell me more about this guy from Burgers. I mean, Burgess! You didn't say much last night!"

Elsa laughed at her sister's interest. It was very like the princess to ask questions like this, and the queen didn't mind; after all, the two were still working on strengthening their relationship and didn't want to lose any opportunities to do so.

"Well," Elsa said after taking a bite of fruit, "Jack was rather handsome. Tall. Thin, yet chiseled. He probably does sword fighting or some other sport back at his kingdom. Hmm… Fair skin, like mine. White hair..."

"White hair?!" Anna gasped.

"Yes, white hair." Elsa replied. "So it was even lighter than mine. But not like an old man's hair. It was bouncy. Unruly, but it suited him. Strong brows, teeth as white as snow, and gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous blue eyes." She stared into space, thinking of the prince's deep pools and resting her cheek on her hand.

"Ooh! You like him, don't you? Elsa, that's great!" Anna sprung up from her chair in excitement.

"What? No- Well I mean he was attractive," Elsa stuttered. "And he was nice. And caring. He seemed to be genuinely curious about me. And he leads wonderful waltz, but I don't know if I like him like that. I only just met the man. And all of these things that are happening. Anna, it's so surreal."

The younger woman cocked her head to the side. "Yeah… This is pretty weird. But doesn't mean you don't feel anything toward the guy! And don't worry sis! We'll find the answer soon enough!" She smiled and placed a hand on her sister's arm to reassure her.

Elsa smiled back, remembering that they would be visiting the trolls in the evening. "You're right," she answered. "Now what do you say, after we finish eating, we tackle the last of the letters in my study?"

Anna's eyes glistened with mischief. "Deal. Race ya!" The princess started shoveling food in her mouth. Elsa chuckled at the other but thought, _why not_, and joined her in the hungry spree.

* * *

At nightfall, the sisters set out on horseback for the valley of the trolls. The journey was easy, and the paths clear, save for the autumn leaves that were beginning to fall from the trees.

Anna jumped down from her horse and began patting a few of the still boulders. "Hi guys, I'm back!" she yelled.

One after the other, the stones popped open. "Anna's home!" Bulda, Kristoff's adoptive mother shouted happily. "And she brought Queen Elsa!"

"Anna's home!" "Elsa's here!" "It's the queen!" A roar of exclamation made its way throughout the area.

"What do you need, dears?" Bulda asked, taking her daughter-in-law's hands.

"We're here to see Pabbie," Elsa stated. In an instant, the grand old boulder with his moss cape and yellow crystals rolled in.

"Your Majesty," the great stone bowed his head. "Tell me of this issue that is making you restless."

The queen pulled out Jack's letter and narrated the story once more, concluding with the fact that no one knew of the kingdom of Northern Burgess. The rocks turned and whispered to one another and Pabbie spoke to Elsa.

"The name sounds faintly familiar. But I can't seem to remember where it is from. I'm sorry, child." The troll king looked up at the sky briefly. "Come back in two days' time. Perhaps I will have answers for you then."

* * *

Elsa had a strange dream that night.

She was wandering around in a horrible blizzard. As she looked around, broken walls and pillars lay around her for miles. The snow began to fall more furiously and out of the blue, Prince Jack appeared.

"Jack?" Elsa called, shielding her eyes from the uncontrollable sleet.

"Elsa?" he called back.

They started to walk toward each other as the snow scaled their legs and they found it difficult to move. Despite their efforts, the distance between them seemed to remain the same and they shouted out to one another in despair.

Then, a cold, eerie laugh echoed around the queen and her prince.

All went black.

For the first time in a while, the Snow Queen found herself shivering when she woke up from her dream and she pulled her blankets closer to her. When she searched her proximity, she found nothing wrong; there was no snow or ash on any of her clothing like she had discovered the morning after she first met Jack. However, the sky was too gloomy for a morning in early fall.

In the meantime, Daniel and Johann had approached the queen, with no luck in finding Burgess. The ships they had sent out returned, with not a bit of information on the mysterious empire. Elsa's hope now lay solely in the hands of her mystical "relatives," and she prayed that they would have something for her.

The autumn air was still miserable when the sisters returned to the valley. This time, the trolls did not hide and greeted Elsa and Anna face to face as soon as they arrived.

"What news can you tell me, Pabbie," Elsa inquired, eyes pleading and desperately searching for answers.

"Come, child," the wise rock beckoned for the sisters, tugging Elsa's arm gently. The women knelt down as Pabbie cleared his throat. "I have spoken to my friend, a friend with powers and magic greater than mine. I know you want answers, Elsa, but there is only so much that I know."

Elsa and Anna looked at each other, then scooted closer to the troll king. "Please tell us, Pabbie," Anna breathed.

"Alright." The troll nodded. "There is a legend. A legend, ages old."

* * *

**_Many, many years ago, there lived a gentle king with awesome strength and the power to bring wonder to the people of his land. His name was Nicholas._**

**_He especially loved the children, and wanted an heir of his own, but his wife was barren._**

**_The Great King of the Moon was watching from above, and he took pity on the king. He knew of the man's good heart and decided to bless Nicholas with three children, each with their own special gifts and talents._**

**_The queen first gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with tan skin, brown hair, and shining purple eyes. She had emerald feathers sprouting from her arms and legs, but the royals didn't mind; they were just happy to have a daughter._**

**_Though Nicholas never complained, the generous Moon King knew his friend on Earth wanted a son, so a few years later after the princess was born, he granted him two sons. But Death took the queen in his arms after she bore the twin boys._**

**_The older of the twins had fair skin and golden locks. The younger had black hair and a complexion even lighter than his brother's._**

**_Everyone loved Princess Victoria and the Princes Stefan and Barnabas. Tori, as the citizens called her, would take the children on short flights around the village, leaving them with happy memories when the day was done. And the people were absolutely fascinated with the boys who had the ability to create magical, shape-shifting orbs from the palms of their hands._**

**_All was well in the kingdom of Northern Burgess._**

**_One morning, Princess Tori was walking along the shore when a strange man washed up in the waves. The young monarch was frightened by the sight of an unconscious man on the beach, but she was drawn to him as well. As she approached him, she saw he was handsome, but also noticed he had the ears, tail, and feet of a hare. Tori always felt out of place for having bird feathers, but now she knew there was someone who had animal features like he. She wanted to find out more about him so she took him back to the castle and nursed him back to health._**

**_When the man woke up, he saw was the princess and he was taken by her beauty. It was love at first sight._**

**_The princess took the rabbit-man - his name was Edmund - to meet her father and to ask for his blessing on their marriage. Seeing how happy his daughter was after being lonesome for a long time, King Nicholas agreed and a grand wedding took place._**

**_All was well._**

**_But trouble started brewing between the two sons. Stefan, though only older that Barnabas by a couple of minutes, was destined to be the next king. The twins used to be inseparable, but the younger brother grew jealous and cursed the injustice of the matter. He felt that his accomplishments constantly went unnoticed and feared that being a prince standing next to his brother, the king, would only make him worse. He confided with Nicholas. But when his father told him sadly that nothing could be done, Barnabas only became angrier. The young prince promised his father that he would become the ruler of his own kingdom one day, and he would make sure no one ever knew of Burgess. And he left the kingdom, but not without destroying most of the village and leaving it in shreds._**

**_Nicholas, fearing for his daughter, who was with child, told her and her husband to flee from Burgess, in case her brother decided to come back to haunt them. _**

**_Victoria disappeared into the wilderness and King Nicholas was left with only one of his three children, Stefan._**

* * *

"To this day, we know nothing more." Pabbie said. "Perhaps Barnabas has grown so much in power that his plan to make people forget about Burgess is working. He was courageous, but being in the dark for so long…" The troll shook his head sadly.

"That's so tragic," Anna whispered, on the verge of tears. "If only there was a way they could all live in harmony."

"Indeed. I agree, child," the old troll sighed.

Elsa nodded in agreement before realizing something. "Grandpabbie," she said. "I think you're missing something. What about Jack? Or Jackson? The one who sent me that letter?"

"I do not know Elsa. My friend said nothing about this Jackson fellow. Maybe he came after the legend was written. Maybe he is the son of Stefan. But there is nothing here." Pabbie handed the queen an old, worn leather book. "You may read the story again if you wish, some other time. And take this." He then gave her a cracked crystal orb. "This ball is somehow related to Burgess. May you find out what it means."

"Thank you, Pabbie." Elsa kissed the troll king on the forehead. "Goodbye, everybody." She waved sadly and started to walk to her horse. Anna trailed behind her.

"Gee, sis. I wish we could have gotten more answers. I really do."

"I know, Anna." Elsa paused for a moment. "Do you mind if I spend time in my ice castle for 2-3 days? I need some time to mull things over."

"Sure, Elsa," Anna took her sister's hands, grinning. "I think I can handle things for a few days down in Arendelle."

"You're the best, Anna. Here. Take my horse. I can pick up food and other supplies at Oaken's and I'll walk up the North Mountain from there. I've done it before" Elsa shrugged. "And besides, my mare doesn't like the cold weather."

"Sounds great. I hope you find your answers. See you in 3 days!" Anna took her sister into a long embrace, and then they went separate ways, one going up the mountain, and one heading down toward the fjord.

* * *

By the time Elsa reached at the ice castle, it was dawn. The sun was starting to rise, making the large crystalline structure glisten, but it was fairly cloudy and there was a small flurry, dancing on the mountainside.

The queen covered her mouth at the sight of her coronation crown sitting atop a massive mound of snow just before her icy staircase. "Good morning, Marshmallow," she giggled.

Before her eyes, the pile turned to a snow giant. It bared its icicle fangs gleefully. "Elsie! Marshmallow missed you!"

Elsa looked lovingly at the not-so-monstrous monster. "I missed you too, Marshmallow. You've been keeping this place in good condition. I'm proud of you."

The large snowman clapped his hands together. "Thank you, Elsie! Have good time in castle!"

The Snow Queen blew an ice kiss as she ascended the stairs to her guard then entered her second home, letting the doors close behind her when she got inside.

From the time when she built the place, Elsa had come back to add new rooms and furnishings to make the ice castle more welcoming. Though she and Marshmallow were its main inhabitants, she felt the need to make it feel warmer, since she couldn't exactly do that temperature wise. She set down the food on her crystal table, proceeding upstairs to her bedroom where she went to rest from her travels.

Elsa emerged from her chamber hours later with a horrendous case of bedhead. But she didn't care and went downstairs to her icebox to retrieve the jar of lutefisk and loaf of potato bread she had bought from Oaken. She ate in silence while trying to think of what to do for the rest of the day. It was 2 'o clock now, so if she wanted to do anything outdoors, she only had so much time before the natural light was gone.

The queen decided that she would work on her sculptures and possibly build new pieces for her ice garden. So when she finished her food, she formed her favorite blue gown around her body, leaving out the cape that would normally trail from the back of the bodice. And instead of her usual side braid, Elsa decided to comb out her tangles with her fingers and leave her hair down to wave to her torso.

She went outside, carrying a few necessities with her, and told Marshmallow to keep a sharp eye out as she trekked down, a little ways away from the castle to a forest of frosted pine. Elsa smiled, letting snow pop out from her palms as a "warm-up" before she built swans and rabbits and other woodland creatures out of ice. Her hand movements curved to create the shape of the small animals, and then she made larger animals like bears and mountain lions. Then she made a reindeer. He was simple, but Elsa thought of Sven and decided to model her statue after him instead. Then she made Kristoff, even adding a carrot in his hand. The queen imagined him teasing his pet and she chuckled. Then she made Anna, who was laughing at the scene of her husband and his reindeer. Lastly, she made Jack. She focused the most on his sculpture, not because she cared less about the others, but because she knew them well already. Elsa had only seen Jack once, and though his features were embedded in her head, she wanted everything to be perfect, from the length of his legs, to the openness of his arms, from the curve of his smile, and to the sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh Jack," Elsa sighed, cupping his cheek in her hand when she finished. "Where are you? There are still so many things I want to know about you."

She took her hand away to reach into the small satchel she had brought with her, retrieving the timeworn book Pabbie had given her. Elsa settled at the base of a tree, fixing the snow to cushion her as she sat. _Let's read you again_, she thought to herself.

* * *

The sky was turning orange on the North Mountain when Elsa closed the book. She still couldn't believe all of the events that happened in Burgess alone; then again, her rampage was pretty action-packed. Yet something in the back of her mind told her there was more than the book told her, and she found herself wondering about the mystery of the empire once again.

"What's happening to that kingdom now?" Elsa murmured. "And why isn't Jack in this story?" Elsa asked this question even louder.

"Maybe it's because he wanted to tell his story himself."

Elsa's eyes grew wide as she turned to see her ice sculpture of Jack, and the real prince Jack standing right next to it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! Jack finally makes his appearance!** **And I leave you with yet another cliffhanger! MUAHAHAHAHA! I know, I'm cruel. But I know where I want to take the next chapter from this point, so I'm praying I can update soon.**

**I'm a bit sad because, as I mentioned earlier, my schedule will be pretty hectic when I get back to school so I don't know when I'll upload next. But who knows? As you can see, my last two updates were inconsistent. Uploading Chapter 2 took 2 weeks, Chapter 3 took 3 days. Pretty sporadic. So the upcoming chapters might just take you by surprise... Hehe.**

**Was there too much dialogue here? I don't know. I felt kind of weird about it. I kind of wanted to show you guys where Elsa and Anna's relationship is, so I put in that sister fluff with the breakfast scene because I can just imagine Anna being all thrilled that Elsa's taken interest in someone. Very cutesy. And I feel like this chapter was too lengthy... Was it? I think you guys don't mind. As long as it's not boring, yes? ... It wasn't boring, right? *laughs nervously***

**AND OH! **

**WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE LEGEND?**

**I really, really, REALLY hope you enjoyed reading it a much as I enjoyed formulating it. I don't think you guys understand. I was jotting ideas down in my notebook and I wrote about 1/3 of it when I was waiting for my food at BJ's Restaurant and I just felt OOH! So accomplished and proud. Hmm... Now why do these characters sound so familiar? Brownie points for you if you can tell me where they're from and who's who! It should be pretty simple!**

**Thank you for the 40+ follows and 20+ favorites! And of course, the reviews! They actually inspire to write faster I think! So keep 'em coming! :)**

**You guys are so great and you make me really happy! Stay wonderful, and Jelsa on! *fist pumps the air***

**~ A**


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